How'd you get your bug home?

[bandi]

My '69 had been sitting for 2 years in a shed, so I brought a truck and tow bar (for Beetles) with me. Someone in the past had welded 2 tabs onto the front beam to attach another tow bar, so mine wouldn't fit.

Pumped the gas a few times, turned the key and drove her home 35 miles... and let the girlfriend drive the horrible GMC back

Didn't even need to boost the battery which is impressive in its own right.

Now my '52 Beetle was another story but I guess this is the wrong forum for that hahaha
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'52 Zwitter deluxe,'66 Bug, '68 Bug, '69 Sunroof Bug, '69 Westy, '71 Super, '72 Baja Champion SE, '73 Super, '73 Standard, '73 Cabrio, '74 Love Bug, '74 Super, '74 Sun Bug, '75 La Grande Bug, '99 New Beetle, '99 Jetta, etc, etc, etc.

[buglifebaby]

There are some great adventures in here! Everything has a story behind it.
I'm renting a truck from enterprise today, have a tow bar and ball. Might have to buy a hitch! I'm gonna go to my 74 "Elizabeth" and take off both back wheels. Have them fitted with new warranteed tires then back on and then towed home.
Thats the plan at least! will update the adventure that turns out from this plan!
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Everyone's a nerd about something!

[drs1023]

I've towed almost of them home with various tow bars - made a couple, bought a couple and the one I have now came with the car I bought off e-bay. I also made a tow dolly from a Chevy Citation rear axle but sold it a few years back to a friend who needed it worse than he needed his money. I must have towed many dozen cars with that thing from VW's to full size sedans and a 1 ton van.

I remember towing one once (when I was between tow bars) with a 2-inch water pipe which I had run a chain through the middle. Tighten the chain on one vehicle, cinch the chain up tight against the bar on the towed vehicle, and go. When the front vehicle stops, the pipe keeps the vehicles apart. Excellent (actually pretty dangerous) if the towed car doesn't have any brakes.

[zombiebug]

74 Super: Drove it home after putting some gas. Had to have it towed back to the garage I purchased it from since the fuel pump blew. The drove it home again. The starter has been hot wired since day one of my owner ship. Even after having it back at the shop three times for my ignition switch.
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'74 Super

[68IHscout]

It was a rainny day in socali when I picked mine up ten miles away , my license was suspended but wanted to get my 74 sb home bought it from the guy , car started up nice , on the way home I noticed no gas , no turn signals and no brake lights so praying I didnt run out of gas,or get pulled over , made it home , now that I think about it I could have gone to jail if I got stopped lol...anyways it was just a fuse, car had enough gas for about 50 more miles.

[Roostalee]

Drove it home. Hadn't driven a Bug in about 25 years, so I was all over the road and never went over about 53 mph. For about 150 miles! My brother was driving behind me in my Civic and kept calling me to tell me to stay in my lane (those fenders reach out and grab things). During the trip, it started to rain, and the PO had obviously put the wiper blades on wrong, because they started to come off and get tangled up in each other. I figured it out, fixed it and kept going. Thankfully, we made it back to my house without any real incident. That sure was a good feeling.

That reminds me to keep working on my roadside kit. I got stranded already when the throttle cable came loose from the carb. All I needed was a screwdriver, but like an idiot I had no tools at all and had to call the brother to bring me one.
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Every morning, Greggery drives his little red Volkswagen to the ugly part of town where they keep the government buildings. "Voodn, voodn! Boy it's so hard to find a place to park around here!"

[Bobdog132]

Checked the oil, filled it with gas, drove it 250 miles home. Walked in the house smelling of gas and happiness.

[DrummerDaveB]

70 Beetle - Drove home
69 Baja - Drove home
72 Super - Drove home
76 Std - Towbar
79 - Towbar
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79 SB Vert, in pieces.
Kadrons, SVDA.

[68IHscout]

[Robbo112233]

Got my dad to drive it home, i had only had my license a week and wasnt ready for a 3hour drive on the motorway. Found out on the way the fuel gauge didnt work, had to roll across 3 lanes. Scary stuff.
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1973 Bug

Beetle Bums VW Club member

Archie's Photo Gallery

[Islandman]

Like so after some mods to the bar.....

[Roostalee]

[sturgeongeneral]

Definetely suggest using a tow bar. $100.00 at a local shop or look on Craigslist for cheaper. That way you always have one. I have towed MANY with a tow bar. WARNING; do not back up with the tow bar connected. 19 times out of 20 you will bend the bar. If you need to back up disconnect and push the car. It is extremely easy and will keep the tow bar straight and safe.
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Street legal fiberglass rocket ship
2005 Lotus Elise supercharged
1974 Chevy Corvette
My fiberglass car collection!

In honor of bowtie56jw:Another victim of the nasty "C" Praying for ya Jeff!

My exwife said if I towed home one more bug she would leave me. You know, every once in a while I miss her

[MIsandshark]

ive had 4 vw in 3 years..

bc bee glass buggy - trailer 150 miles traded an old chevy truck for it

sandshark glass buggy - tow bar 100 miles traded a yamaha warior for it

pos parts buggy- tow bar w a flat front tire 30 miles 100 bucks c list

my current 70 beetle- tow bar 150 ish miles. was a project, loose drums. trans, fenders, engine, axles laying inside best deal yet. traded a smith and wesson 357 revolver even for it

[pave]

1st one, pushed about 400' to my house, i was 15 and it didn't run
2nd one, drove about 3 miles, stopped for gas and starter went out, towed rst of the way with a rope, about 10 miles
3rd, drove home with no problem, only about 13 miles
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Steve
1971 Standard

[Shewster]

20 years ago my clutch went out on the 72 std. I was married with two small kids. The tools and expert (Dad) were 300 miles away. So our little family of 4 drove from LA to Central California by stopping only twice and starting the car in gear. Thank goodness for a good running engine and a good transmission.
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'72 Bug, One Family Car, 350k happy miles (ok, a few of those miles were not so happy)

[cletus_zuber]

Got a 68 in 1988, had to wire in the electric fuel pump to drive it home, trans howled all the way!

gotta 73 super in 06, poured in 3 qts of oil and drove it home, alt not charging. oil blown all over time i got it home, found later a hole in #1 piston.

72 super couple years ago, drove it home no issues, 90's resto mostly towed behind an RV when I got it.
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72 Super

[the2ndcashboy]

I bought mine an hour north of seattle and drove it back home to Mississippi. Used a quart of oil every 100 miles (rear main was leaking badly due to the thrust being pounded out). Drove it across arizona, new mexico, and texas in December with only half the heat working (and had to fix that a couple times). The ice on the windshield coming through west Texas at night wasn't fun. Got it back to Mississippi and immediately yanked the motor out. By the time I got it there the crank was moving back and forth so much in the case that the timing would drop back and it would start to bog when I tried to climb hills. The bug also had really sloppy steering, and would dart hard to the right when you hit the brakes (but you had to pump twice to get a pedal). After 2500 miles of pumping the brakes twice and yanking the wheel to the left whenever I stopped, I almost wrecked my other car when I went to drive it after I made it home with my bug .

The whole thing seemed like a good idea at the time. I got a good deal on the bug and hadn't had an adventure in a few months. Its great being young and invincible
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[nice-diver]

I usually pull a new bug home behind my current bug
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many 68's and 70's bugs...i want a 68-71 bus

People are more violently opposed to fur than leather, because it's easier to harrass rich women than motorcycle gangs!

[Funkyterrance]

Cool thread, brought back some memories .
I had to have my 72 towed about 20 miles on a flatbed since it was nowhere near road legal. It came with a 73 parts car as well so it was pretty cool seeing them both on there. Funny story about bringing it to local garage for inspection though. I drove it in the evening/dusk on the way up to lessen the chance of getting stopped by a cop on the way but every time I hit a bump the headlights would go on/off due to a bad ground that must have loosened early in the ride. My Dad was tailing me to make sure I didn't break down and thought I was messing around. Was pretty dark with em off but I could pretty much see from my Dad's lights and was laughing the whole way .